


In These Arms, Part I: Eight Letters, Three Words, One Meaning

by mrpicard



Series: Star Trek: TNG - In These Arms [1]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Bartenders, Enterprise, Falling In Love, Hotel Sex, Love, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance, Secret Crush, Slash, Starship Enterprise (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 00:42:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1284832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small crush turns into something else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This little story is set about two years after the events that took place in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis. It does NOT acknowledge the novelverse in ANY way.
> 
> It was originally supposed to be only a few ficlets and nothing more, hence its rather short nature. It turned out to be the basis for a much larger series.

The line in front of the airlock seemed endless, just like every time the flagship of the Federation happened to be in Earth's Spacedock. Supplies were being rolled in, personnel transfers were taking place and officers were running around, trying to find either a shuttle or a transporter in order to get down to Earth and visit their families.  
  
This time, however, things were even worse. Apparently, a particularly 'humorous' bureaucrat had chosen to schedule an Enterprise shuttle and transporter maintenance check for this particular day, which meant that everyone who wanted to get on and off the ship had to be handled the old-fashioned way: Through the airlocks.  
  
There was no way in hell the damn line would ever move - at least it seemed like that to a young human male named Alexander who was standing right in the middle of it. He was not only human but also German and, like most Germans, impatient like hell when it came to standing in lines. He sighed and looked at four Bynars in front of him who were chatting happily with each other in their rapid computer language.  
  
_'At least **they** are having a good time. Still... I should be grateful I'm here in the first place, endless line or not.'_  
  
He had never expected to actually _win_ the 'get a bartender position aboard a starship' competition in that bar in Berlin. He had simply walked in, served a few of his special cocktails and his famous chocolate ice cream sundae without giving it too much thought. When they had announced him as the winner, his first reaction had been to laugh, convinced that there had been some sort of mistake. There hadn't, however, and the realization of what had just happened had only really begun to dawn on him when the jury had told him that the starship on which he would be serving as bartender was actually the Enterprise.  
  
They had also revealed that there was a slight problem: The ship would arrive tomorrow and be on its way again in three days, so, he practically would have to be ready to leave right away.  
  
Alex had somehow managed to stop his hands from shaking and had signed the contract, gone home and packed a few personal things into his bag, given his apartment to a friend of his and said goodbye to his mother - and here he was now, ready for action.  
  
He looked once more at the gigantic ship in front of him and felt a sudden rush of pride and excitement. He never would have thought it possible to come even close to _any_ starship since he had discovered pretty early in his life that he would never be Starfleet material. He loved starships, sure, but he was _not_ good at following orders, at least not without having a chance to question them if they sounded stupid. And getting a starship assignment as a civilian or crewman was nearly impossible unless you happened to have either a significant other in Starfleet or one hell of a lot of luck.  
  
Alex was lucky in more than just one way, however - bartender was his dream job and now he would probably have the best environment for it as well: A bar on a starship. The ones who came there were usually well-behaved and disciplined and there was no such problem as not enough customers since the bar was open 24/7 in order to accommodate to the fact that Starfleet officers worked in shifts. The best thing about this was that Alex would most likely be able to choose whether he wanted to work during the day or at night, which would grant him a lot of personal freedom.  
  
He looked at the PADD in his hands that had his contract and also one hell of a lot of other documents he had had to sign at Starfleet Command in San Francisco before they had given him permission to beam directly into the crew area of the spacedock. There he had gone through a short medical and psychological examination and then he had ended up here, right in the middle of the 'new personnel' line.  
  
Alex not only felt pride and excitement at reading the name Enterprise on his PADD - he also felt somewhat nervous. Only the best officers ended up on this ship, its command crew was well-known in most parts of the explored galaxy and had a certain reputation for excellence.  
  
_'Glad I'm not someone who's easily starstruck,'_ Alex thought and put the PADD back into his pocket. He knew the Enterprise's senior officers from holo-pictures, posters and articles, but he was aware that they were all still ordinary people.  
  
Well, except for _one_ of them, who was a little more than that - at least for Alex.  
  
He smiled slightly and looked up at the large saucer section. He couldn't see the bridge from where he was standing, but he was pretty sure that a certain person was on it right now.  
  
Where else would a captain be, after all?  
  
Alex knew his rather intense crush on Jean-Luc Picard was more than just ridiculous. The man was about fifty years older than he was, the captain of the Federation's flagship and not exactly someone who had a reputation for being a particularly charming fellow. In fact, a lot of people had described him to Alex as 'stuffy' and 'incapable of laughing'. And yet Alex had had a crush on him ever since he had seen him giving a guest lecture on interstellar relations at a French university. The lecture hall had been crowded like hell (it had been an open lecture) and everyone had been very excited to see the captain of the flagship in person.  
  
Picard had not seemed bothered by the large crowd but had refused to sign autographs after the lecture, apparently embarrassed by the mere idea of his handwritten signature being special in any way. To Alex, this had only added to the man's appeal. He had indeed appeared somewhat cold and distant, but Alex suspected that there was more to it than that. And then there had been his voice -  
  
The Bynars in front of Alex suddenly began to chat even more excitedly. He looked at them and realized that the line had begun to move.  
  
Finally.

 

**********

 

"And these are the non-syntheholic beverages," Guinan said. "For special customers only. Don't worry - you'll know them when you see them."  
  
Alex peered into the small cabinet below the bar. "Whoa! That's quite a collection! May I?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
The young man bent down, took out one of the old-fashioned glass bottles and examined it. It had no label, but there was only _one_ beverage that had this sort of color. "That's Aldebaran whiskey, right?"  
  
"Yes. A gift from the captain."  
  
Alex gaped at his new - and rather mysterious - boss. "The _captain_ gave you this?"  
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"He doesn't strike me as someone who likes whiskey."  
  
"Don't judge a book by its cover."  
  
"I don't... I mean I... I've read a few things about him... err..."  
  
"Yes...?"  
  
"I... umm... I read that he grew up on a vineyard and all - but I've also heard that his favorite drink is actually Earl Grey tea." Alex looked away nervously without noticing the slight smile in the corners of Guinan's mouth. "Don't misunderstand, it's not that I've read _that_ much about him... I... just wanted to... err, I mean it's wise to know a few things about one's boss, isn't it?"  
  
"He isn't your 'boss'," Guinan said. "You're not an officer."  
  
"But he _could_ kick me off this ship."  
  
"He would never do that."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
Guinan took the bottle out of Alex' hand, put it back into the small cabinet and closed it. "He listens to my advice."  
  
Alex froze. _'Uh-oh... she knows him rather well... careful what you say now.'_  
  
"There's one more thing you need to know about this bar," Guinan continued, seemingly oblivious to Alex' discomfort. "Come over here."  
  
He walked up to her, looked over her shoulder and into the large drawer that she had just opened. "You own a _rifle_?!"  
  
"It came in handy once or twice on the Enterprise-D, so I took it with me."  
  
Alex ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Oh dear. It's been _years_ since I've had any target practice. And even back then it was just for fun."  
  
Guinan closed the drawer. "I didn't say you're supposed to shoot at _customers_. Target the _ceiling_ \- it will have the same effect, only without someone getting hurt." She looked at him. "Alex, Eleven Forward isn't a planetary bar where you can just go outside, take a deep breath of fresh air and go home. This ship explores the unknown - and, somehow, the unknown often also finds its way here."  
  
"I never thought of it like that. You're right, though. I'm sorry. I was just a little overwhelmed."  
  
"I know." She looked around and then back at Alex. "Actually, this was all I needed to tell you about the bar. I'm going to show you the rest of the ship now. Come on."  
  
"Umm... wait a second."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Don't you want me to mix you a cocktail? Or serve you an ice cream sundae?"  
  
"I'm neither hungry nor thirsty."  
  
"That's not what I mean. Don't you want to see what I can do? I mean find out if I'm truly the right person for this job and all."  
  
"I don't need to find out." She smiled broadly. "I already know."

 

**********

 

"Good evening."  
  
Alex froze when heard the voice coming from behind him. He would have recognized it anywhere and yet it was still hard to believe that it really was what it sounded like: _His_ voice.  
  
_'Great. Just great. It's not that I'm nervous enough already on my very first shift.'_  
  
He slowly turned around and looked at his new customer.  
  
Picard returned his gaze, the slightest hint of a friendly smile on his face. His huge, attractive hands were on the bar that was between the two of them and his gray-green eyes sparkled in the semi-darkness - in short, he looked as wonderful as Alex remembered him to.  
  
_'Pull yourself together and stop gaping at him!'_  
  
"Good evening, captain. What can I get you?"  
  
_'Much better.'_  
  
"Nothing at this point, actually." Picard reached out his hand. "I simply came by in order to welcome you aboard."  
  
Alex took the hand, shook it briefly and tried _not_ to notice how strong and yet gentle it was. "Thank... thank you, sir."  
  
Picard put his hand back on the bar. "I heard Guinan took you on a tour yesterday?"  
  
"Yes, she did. It was very interesting."  
  
"I take it you enjoyed it, then?"  
  
"Absolutely. You have a beautiful ship."  
  
"It's yours as well now."  
  
"Technically, maybe. But I'm just a bartender, it would be more suited for me to call it mine if I were an officer."  
  
"You might still choose to become one."  
  
Alex shook his head. "Oh, no. Starfleet isn't for me. Too many rules and regulations."  
  
"A bar has rules and regulations as well," Picard remarked.  
  
"Yes, that's true. But no one orders me to fire at enemy ships here. Or asks me to carry responsibility for hundreds of lives. I simply couldn't do that. I admire those who can, though."  
  
"I understand that. However, there are other Starfleet divisions. Medical, for example."  
  
"Hell, no. My bedside manner sucks."  
  
"Really? I would actually have thought that a doctor and a bartender share quite a few character traits when it comes to handling patients and customers."  
  
"Sure they do," Alex said, feeling more at ease with each passing second. "Problem is, those who come to _me_ do so _voluntarily_. Those who come to a doctor don't. And that's where the differences begin."  
  
"Someone once said, 'Sometimes a man will tell his bartender things he'll never tell his doctor'," Picard quoted.  
  
Alex nodded. "Yes. That was Philip Boyce. One of his favorite sayings."  
  
Picard raised his eyebrows. "Exactly. Are you interested in Starfleet history?"  
  
"A bit, yeah. Especially when it comes to 23rd century doctors. They had to be bartender, counselor and doctor - all in one person. I'm glad we've got three different people for these jobs now."  
  
Picard chuckled. "How true." He took his hands off the bar. "But... I should be going now, my shift starts in a few minutes."  
  
"Thanks for taking the time to welcome me aboard personally."  
  
"I always do so. I consider bartenders to be highly important for the well-being of the crew. Therefore it is my responsibility to make sure they are comfortable."  
  
"Well, so far I've been more than comfortable."  
  
"I'm glad to hear that." Picard walked up to the door and glanced over his shoulder. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask Guinan or Commander Madden."  
  
Alex forced himself to not stare _too_ much at the wonderful man he had just had a conversation with. "Will do, sir. Thanks."


	2. Chapter 2

 

"Hey."  
  
"Hello! What can I get you, Ensign?"  
  
"Nothing at this point. Just wanted to introduce myself. Name's Timothy. Timothy Harris."  
  
Alex took the young man's outstretched hand and shook it briefly. "Alexander. Though everyone calls me Alex."  
  
Harris grinned. "How come no bartender I've ever met had a last name?"  
  
"We drop it somewhere along the way. No one remembers it anyway after a few drinks."  
  
"True. Now, why I'm here - I wanted to ask you if you would be interested in taking over Ben's place at our weekly poker table. We could use another player."  
  
"Ben?" Alex echoed.  
  
"Your predecessor. You haven't heard of him?"  
  
"Not really. I've been here for only about a week. Which means that by now I can actually find the way from my quarters to Eleven Forward and back without getting lost."  
  
Harris laughed. "I forgot. I've already gotten used to seeing you here when I come in after my shift. You're as much of a night owl as I am, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I guess one could say that." Alex looked at the rather handsome young man. "Tell me more about that poker table. Who else is there?"  
  
"Well, Ben used to play with me and three other guys. And after he had defeated us, he'd move on to the senior staff. So... poker starts at ten tomorrow night in my quarters. Wednesday's always poker night, by the way."  
  
"Hmm. My shift starts at eleven - but I might be able to re-arrange that on Wednesdays."  
  
"That would be great."  
  
"Thanks for the invitation."  
  
"You're welcome. Until tomorrow, then."  
  
"Until tomorrow."

 

**********

 

"Damn you," Alex muttered and glared at the pool table from which a black ball with the number 8 seemed to grin at him in a mocking way - he had been trying for at least ten minutes to maneuver it into its designated pocket.  
  
He glared at it once more and was just about to give the whole thing one more shot when he heard approaching footsteps. He glanced up, curious as to who would go to the gym next to the small, doorless room in which this rather large pool table had been set up - it was _way_ after midnight - and almost dropped the cue when he saw who casually walked past the door.  
  
Picard did not notice him, which was just as well because Alex would have been unable to even say hello anyway; he was still busy with coping what he had just seen. So far he had only known Picard in a Starfleet uniform - and now the man was wearing a dark blue tank top and rather tight blue shorts.  
  
Alex shook his head at his own thoughts - he was _not_ supposed to drool like a hormone-driven teenager just because of an older man in a tank top and tight shorts! And besides, he had come here simply to play pool and forget about the rather humiliating defeat at the poker table earlier when Timothy Harris and his friends had taken him apart for the fifth week in a row. Poker really wasn't his game, but he always had a lot of fun with Timothy and the others. It was simply impossible to _not_ like -  
  
Alex suddenly heard heavy breathing and his thoughts returned immediately to Jean-Luc Picard.  
  
He knew he was about to breach some serious Starfleet protocol or whatever else there was that probably made it illegal to spy on the captain of a starship in the gym, but he was unable to resist the temptation. He put the cue on the pool table, tiptoed to the door and peered around the corner and into the gym.  
  
Picard was using an old-fashioned arm muscle trainer and his straddled legs revealed just _how_ tight his shorts were. He was also extremely fit for his age, there were muscles over muscles - and a lot of white chest hair that Alex immediately wanted to run his fingers through.  
  
_**'ENOUGH! What if he sees you?!**_  
  
Alex stepped back into the pool table room and took a deep breath.  
  
_'He's incredibly handsome.'_  
_**'Sure, sure - but what if he had caught you staring at him?'**_  
'...'  
_**'Exactly.'**_

 

*********

 

"Oh... hello, Alexander."  
  
Alex froze for just a split second when he heard his full name spoken out loud by _that_ voice - Picard was the only person aboard the Enterprise who called him Alexander instead of Alex. He turned around and tried _not_ to notice that the captain was still wearing his gym outfit. "Hello, sir."  
  
Picard smiled a little sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your game. I was just about to tell the computer to turn off the lights, I didn't expect anyone to be here at this time."  
  
Alex waved his hand. "No problem. I'd simply have told the computer to turn the lights back on."  
  
"Of course, but given the nature of your game, a lack of light even for a second might create a major inconvenience." Picard glanced at the table. "You play regularly?"  
  
"Yes. I was actually in heaven when I found out that there's a pool table on this ship. I'd have had to use up precious holodeck time otherwise."  
  
"Commander Madden arranged for this table to be installed because he and quite a few other crew members enjoy this game a lot as well." Picard looked once more at the table. "I would try number 6. Into the upper left pocket."  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow - this very move had actually been his precise intention. "You play pool, too?"  
  
"No, but I used to be a somewhat decent dom-jot player when I was younger. The principle is similar."  
  
"True. I've never cared much for dom-jot, though. Too much noise and too many flashing lights."  
  
Picard chuckled. "I must admit I find it rather unnerving as well these days." He looked back at Alex. "I didn't mean to keep you from your game. Enjoy it."  
  
"Thanks. Good night, sir."  
  
"Good night."  
  
Picard turned around in order to leave but then he stopped and looked at Alex once more. "By the way... there's no need for you to call me 'sir' all the time."  
  
"Oh... I just thought it was the polite thing to do."  
  
"It might be polite - but it's not necessary. After all, _you_ are not an officer and _I_ am just another Eleven Forward customer." With that, he walked out of the small room.  
  
Alex leaned against the pool table and took a deep breath.  
  
_'You're **far** more than that.'_


	3. Chapter 3

 

Picard glanced up from his book that he had been reading ever since the shuttle had left the Enterprise's shuttlebay. "Status report, Ensign."  
  
The young ensign at the helm glanced at the control panel. "Systems are all functioning, sir. Our ETA on Calder II is still fourteen hundred hours local time."  
  
Picard turned around in his seat and looked at Guinan and Alex in the back of the shuttle. "This won't be too late for you to settle in before the bartender tournament starts, will it?"  
  
Alex shook his head. "No, we'll still have plenty of time."  
  
"I'm relieved to hear that. I didn't mean to disrupt your plans for this trip the way I did, but when I received that message about the new Debrune artifact findings on Calder II, I knew I had to come along. I _have_ to witness this - it will be such an important moment in the history of archaeology."  
  
"It's okay," Alex quipped. "I don't think I'll have much of a chance at that tournament anyway."  
  
Picard raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"  
  
"Well, only the best bartenders from this part of the quadrant will be there. My chocolate ice cream sundae won't make much of an exception."  
  
"I thought you had developed a new recipe for the chocolate sauce?"  
  
Alex gaped at him. "How do _you_ know about that?"  
  
Picard smiled. "I had a subspace conversation with Counselor Riker yesterday. You asked the right person for advice. She is an absolute expert."  
  
"Oh. I... I see..."  
  
"She thinks very highly of your chocolate ice cream sundae, and I have full confidence in her judgment when it comes to this particular matter. You shouldn't have to worry about anything." Picard turned away and was soon lost in his book once more.  
  
Alex leaned back in his seat and sighed inwardly.

He had not gotten any further when it came to Picard - sure, the captain visited Eleven Forward on a semi-regular basis and there had been a few rather nice (but also dreadfully short) conversations but that had been all. Of course Alex would have preferred the direct way but he was not sure how Picard would react - one did not simply walk up to the captain and ask him out on a date, after all.  
  
Or did one?

 

**********

 

 

Alex stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Picard sitting at a small table in the corner of the rather large bar. He had not expected to see the captain at all during their stay on Calder II - but there he was with a steaming teacup on the table in front of him.  
  
' _This is your chance to talk to him! Come on!_ '  
  
Alex closed his hand even tighter around the glass of old-fashioned coke that he was holding and then slowly walked up to Picard's table.  
  
"Hello Captain," he said when he had reached it.  
  
Picard looked up. "Oh! Alexander! Hello!" He smiled and pointed at the empty chair next to him. "Would you like to sit down?"  
  
"I don't want to disturb you," Alex said cautiously.  
  
"I'm not really busy."  
  
"Alright." Alex sat down and put his glass on the table. "I thought you _would_ be busy with that important moment in the history of archaeology you mentioned."  
  
Picard sighed. "Cancelled."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Bureaucracy. One particularly thorough bureaucrat probably decided regulation 500 of paragraph 15, section 42 was not fulfilled."  
  
"Oh God. These guys sound worse than the Sheliak."  
  
Picard smiled slightly. "One could say that, yes. Although the Sheliak _have_ changed somewhat in recent years."  
  
Alex took a sip from his coke. "Mmm. They're still terrible customers."  
  
"How is that?"  
  
"Well, they demand to have the exact amounts of the respective ingredients in their drinks. They leave you no margin for creativity, and they can actually taste when you're even zero point one percent off."  
  
"That sounds rather tiresome."  
  
Alex put his glass back on the table. "Trust me, having a Sheliak complain to you about his drink is among the worst things that can happen to a bartender."  
  
Picard chuckled. "Speaking of drinks - I heard you made it through the first round of the tournament today. Congratulations."  
  
"You keep up with the tournament?"  
  
"Of course I do. You represent the Enterprise."  
  
Alex winced. "Thanks for making me nervous."  
  
"That was not my intention." Picard took a sip from his tea and slowly put the cup back on the table before he continued. "I'm not only interested for professional reasons, however."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Personal reasons play into this as well, at least to a certain degree. I think you are a very polite young man and I would hate to see you disappointed."  
  
Alex rubbed his hands together. "Umm. Thanks..."  
  
Picard smiled at the young bartender's sudden nervousness. "Do you have any plans for the rest of this evening?"  
  
Alex froze. "What?"  
  
"A rather interesting concert starts in about an hour. I didn't think I'd have time for it - but it now appears that I do. Would you like to accompany me?"  
  
' _He's not actually asking me out, or is he?_ '  
  
"I... I would be honored."

 

*********

 

"Have you found something to eat yet?"  
  
Alex looked up from the menu PADD. "Hmm. My French's kinda rusty. I know the basic words and I can ask a few naughty questions, but that's all."  
  
"How come you speak French at all?" Picard asked, unable to hide his curiosity.  
  
"I grew up in Germany, near the former French border. My mother and I went to France quite often when I was younger, and I picked up a few words and phrases that way. But not enough to properly read a menu, of course."  
  
"There's a translation function at the bottom."  
  
"I know. I just don't want to use it unless it becomes absolutely necessary. This is a French restaurant. It's only polite to read the menu and order the food in the proper language."  
  
Picard smiled. "That is very admirable."  
  
"It has little to do with admirable behavior. More with diplomacy - I know how proud the people of France are of their language and culture. Insulting them is _never_ wise."  
  
"That is certainly true." Picard eyed the young bartender. "But I could help you with the menu if you want."  
  
"You don't have to. I think I'll go with crêpes. I used to love these when I was a kid, so, they're a safe bet. Besides, there's one golden rule when it comes to foreign restaurants: Never order things you can't translate."  
  
Picard chuckled.  
  
Alex put the menu away. "I've been meaning to thank you, by the way."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For taking me here. I didn't even know there was a French restaurant on Calder II."  
  
"As far as I know, this is the only one," Picard said. "It belongs to Louis, an old friend of mine." He looked around. "Very little has changed here since my last visit, except..." He broke off.  
  
"Except...?"  
  
"This... erm... this is the first time that I've brought someone with me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It didn't seem right to simply end this evening after that rather lovely concert. I hope I'm not keeping you from something...?"  
  
"Such as...?"  
  
"Other obligations you might have had. Practicing for tomorrow's next round of the tournament, for example."  
  
Alex waved his hand. "Don't worry. What I can't do now I won't be able to do tomorrow. It either goes well or it doesn't."  
  
"A very rational approach."  
  
"I approach most things rationally."  
  
"Which is always a good thing to do," Picard said and raised his glass of wine. "A toast."  
  
Alex raised his glass of coke. "To what?"  
  
Picard smiled. "Rationality."

 

 

**********

 

  
"It was a lovely evening," Picard said and sat down on a bench in the small and - at this time of night - empty hotel garden.  
  
Alex sat down next to him. "I enjoyed it very much as well."  
  
"There is one issue, however."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You should have told me that you don't care for classical music."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I noticed that you were yawning during the concert."  
  
"I... I was tired... umm... I'm sorry..."  
  
"There's no need to apologize," Picard said gently. "Yet I'm a bit puzzled as to why you came with me in the first place - you knew that the concert would be classical music. Did you come because I asked you and you thought it to be unwise to say no to the captain?"  
  
"Huh? No, of course not. I don't care about your rank, actually. I mean I know you're the captain and I don't mean any disrespect towards your Starfleet duty but to me it doesn't matter, not in _that_ way, at least. I mean it _does_ matter, of course, it's important to _you_ , but - oh hell. I should just shut up. I'm only gonna get myself stuck even deeper."  
  
"Stuck?"  
  
"In that large pile of bullshit around me."  
  
Picard chuckled. "That's a rather drastic way of putting things."  
  
"Sorry," Alex muttered. "I love old-fashioned swearing way too much sometimes."  
  
"It's alright. I think I know what you were trying to say." Picard leaned back. "So, what was it?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"It if wasn't my rank, what was it that made you accompany me to a concert you knew you wouldn't like?"  
  
"I... umm... well, I liked the idea of spending some time with you." Alex looked away quickly. "Alone. Just us."  
  
Picard gently put his large hand on the young man's arm. "I know."  
  
"Know what?" Alex asked nervously and stared at the floor.  
  
"I know about your... fascination with me," Picard said, his voice trembling ever so slightly.  
  
"Guinan. I'm gonna _kill_ her," Alex muttered.  
  
"She had nothing to do with it. Well, not directly, anyway. Did you really think I didn't notice that you broke a glass whenever I happened to walk into Eleven Forward in your first two weeks aboard the Enterprise?"  
  
"I actually _did_ think that. You didn't even so much as glance."  
  
"That's because I didn't want to put any more glasses at risk."  
  
Alex giggled - and then finally found the courage to look up and directly at Picard. "May I ask _you_ something?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Why did you ask me to come with you?"  
  
"I wanted to get to know you better. I noticed during our very first conversation that you're a rather interesting young man, and when I realized that you seemed to have similar thoughts about me, I decided to do something about it at some point. Although I still don't really know what it is that you seem to see in me since I am an old -"  
  
"Don't say it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't say you're an old man. You're not. Not to _me_. To me -" Alex broke off for a moment but then continued, still looking right into Picard's eyes. "To me you are the most wonderful man I've ever had the pleasure of serving a cup of Earl Grey."  
  
Picard took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say... I'm not used to having this sort of conversation... I..."  
  
Alex raised his hand and put it on the back of Picard's head. The captain allowed himself to be pulled closer and closer - until their lips met for a brief and shy kiss.  
  
"Did you plan for this to happen when you asked me to come with you?" Alex whispered, their faces still merely inches away from each other.  
  
"Not exactly, no."  
  
A second kiss, only this time it was slightly longer.  
  
"I _did_ plan on warning you, however."  
  
"Warn me?" Alex echoed.  
  
"We both know that things are most likely going to lead directly into either your or my room if we leave this garden together right now - and I don't want to hurt you."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Picard slowly put his hand on Alex' and squeezed it gently. "I'm still a starship captain, Alexander. Right now we're in a lovely hotel on a lovely planet where things tend to happen that would probably not happen aboard the Enterprise."  
  
"Who says they wouldn't happen aboard the Enterprise, too?"  
  
"Because up there, I am bound by my oath to Starfleet."  
  
Alex pulled back slightly. "Last time I checked Starfleet had no regulations whatsoever about a captain being involved with someone aboard his ship."  
  
"I didn't mean it so literally. I simply meant to say that I have obligations aboard the Enterprise. It's rather tempting to disregard them here in this beautiful environment - but they _are_ up there, waiting for me."  
  
"So what? I still don't know what the problem is. I have _my_ obligations, too. You're the captain, I'm the bartender. You talk to the aliens, I talk to my customers. And when we're both done with our respective jobs, we can talk to each other. If we want."  
  
"That is exactly the problem - my job is _never_ done."  
  
"Oh, come on. Even _you_ need to relax every once in a while."  
  
"Yes, but I always have to be there in case of an emergency. I have to know exactly what is going on aboard my ship at _all_ times. Putting up with someone like me whose duty is never completely finished can be very tiresome." Picard sighed. "I simply don't want you to be disappointed because you saw something in me that I'm not. Most of the men and women I was involved with in the past _did_ make that particular mistake, which always made things end rather... _badly_."  
  
"I've made my share of relationship mistakes as well, believe me," Alex replied. "But honestly, we haven't actually really set anything in stone here. I _do_ admit that I would love for us to go into a certain direction, but I also realize that this isn't what _has_ to happen. We could still walk away right now and forget about the whole thing. Right?"  
  
They looked at each other in silence, holding each other's hands.  
  
"I don't think we could do that," Picard finally said.  
  
"Neither do I, actually."

 

**********

 

 

Alex used his foot to close the old-fashioned hotel room door behind him - his hands were too busy with removing Picard's green shirt. The two men broke their intense kiss only for a few seconds in order to pull Picard's shirt over his head and then the kiss resumed, now even more passionate than before until Alex broke it, impatient for more.

The young man knelt down in front of Picard, opened the captain's pants and pulled them down along with the Starfleet briefs - there _would_ be a time for slow and gentle sex, but this was _definitely_ not it. Alex leaned forward just a bit, took Picard's already semi-erect cock into his mouth and began to suck, taking it in deeper each time.

Picard bucked his hips, quickly getting lost in the heat that was his lover's mouth. This was so good...

Alex suddenly began to massage Picard's balls and the captain groaned, his knees growing weak from the mere rush of blood to his now fully erect cock. The young man somehow sensed his lover's discomfort, pulled back, stood up and looked directly into his eyes.

"Alexander, I -" Picard gasped but had no time to finish his sentence because Alex was already kissing him again. The taste of his own precum almost drove Picard over the edge, and this time it was him who broke the kiss and went down on his knees. He unbuttoned the young man's black jeans, pulled down his black boxers, took a few seconds to admire the rock-hard erection and then took it into his mouth with one single experienced move.

Alex moaned loudly - he had suspected that Picard would be more than just decent at this sort of thing, but he had completely underestimated the man's abilities. He thrust his hips forward without really wanting to, but Picard did not mind - on the contrary, he put his large hands on Alex' buttocks in order to control the movements so that his mouth and tongue matched them perfectly.

Just when Alex thought he would be able to take no more of this exquisite pleasure Picard stopped, stood up and pulled his lover with him towards the bed. They both were on it in an instant. Picard removed Alex' black t-shirt, ran his hand over the slightly hairy chest and then allowed it to find its way back to the young man's hard cock. He squeezed its tip, which made Alex whimper in utter desperation - it was getting too much. Picard bent over and took the cock into his mouth once more, using the same technique as before, only this time even more quickly.

 _That_ did it. Alex came, he could not help his cum rushing down Picard's throat - the older man was too experienced and too good. Picard did not mind, however, he continued to suck, prolonging Alex' orgasm as best as he could. When it had subsided, he let go of his lover, who now had only one wish: To return the favor.

He pushed Picard back into the pillow, bent over and took the tip of Picard's cock into his mouth. The captain groaned and bucked his hips in a silent plea for more, which Alex was only too willing to give him. He moved his mouth down the large erection and began to suck heavily and to massage Picard's balls, remembering how fond the captain appeared to be of this.

"Alexander... oh... I'm going to... to..."

Alex knew that the man was warning him that he was about to come - but there was no need, he wanted to taste him just as Picard had tasted him, so he sucked even harder until he felt the older man's balls draw up - and then there was a rush of hot and salty liquid in his mouth that he swallowed until he was certain that there would be no more of it.

Only then did he withdraw and look up.

Picard returned his gaze. "Alexander..."

"Sssh." Alex moved up until he was face to face with Picard. Then he leaned over and kissed him gently, their lips tasting of cum, saliva and sweat.

 

 

**********

 

 

"Good morning."

Alex slowly opened his eyes and smiled tiredly when he noticed that Picard was looking at him. "Mmmmhmmm?"

"I wasn't sure whether to order breakfast or not," the captain said shyly. "I didn't know if you'd like that."

Alex reached out his hand and gently touched his lover's cheek. "Breakfast would be great. And... I'm actually glad you're still here."

"Why's that?"

"You could've sneaked out at some point during the night. Y'know, pretend that none of this ever happened and all."

"I probably _would_ have done something like that when I was a few years younger than you are now," Picard mused. "These days, however, I tend to face the consequences of my actions."

"How about the two of us facing these consequences together?"

Picard smiled. "I would like that very much."

 

 


End file.
